But that’s awfully trite, so I’ll be a bit more complete. I don’t mean “romance;” I mean love, in all its wonderful, terrible forms.

The series follows Arwein Angylaidd and his son Daniel D’Eyrie through some ups and downs, and although they are rather complicated individuals, in the end, the books really are about a man (well – a Demi-Angel, but I’ll get into that) and his son.

So let me get into the meat of it. A “Frequently Asked Questions,” if you will.

Q: What are the stories about?

A: They are about a man, Arwein Angylaidd, and his son, Daniel. Arwein is a Demi-Angel who runs an Institution in Wales tasked with fighting Lucifer’s minions throughout time. This Institution includes an army that can call upon the Angels when Arwein deems it necessary, and a top-notch school. Daniel is a boy who has been raised in foster care; he has spent his life believing that his parents are dead and that he is not now, and never will be, ‘anything special.’ They need each other – a lot – but neither really wants to admit it, and Arwein holds all the strings. In addition, Daniel is pursued by the evil Demi-Angel Tywyll throughout the series (at least through those which have thus far been written), and Arwein must both protect and train Daniel to keep him – and their secret – safe.

Throughout, we visit different situations of historic significance – sixteenth century Paris’ Barricades; the Battle of Flodden Field; the Battle of Bosworth; King Edward VI’s court before Elizabeth becomes Queen Elizabeth – and there is a good deal of humor and a little romance interjected as well. 😉

Q: What are the books called, and what happens in them?

A: The first is “Angylaidd: Demi-Angel’s Son,” and it introduces us to Daniel and Arwein – as well as to the evil Demi-Angel, Tywyll. Daniel learns to manage his Telepathy, but when tragedy takes his best friend, he is set up for a series of escalating crises that culminate in the abduction of Arwein’s fiancee and a climactic battle in which Daniel and Arwein must work together to overcome Tywyll.

The second is “Angylaidd: The Dark Resurrection.” In Dark Resurrection, Daniel has taken his oaths to Arwein and is sent on his first independent assignment to Tudor England to protect the Lady Elizabeth Tudor. But he doesn’t expect to confront an old friend thought long dead – now resurrected and Turned to evil. His difficulties with Arwein continue as well, and in an act of defiance, he fathers a child who becomes the focus of a battle the likes of which the Legion has not seen in hundreds of years. In the end, when Tywyll attacks the family Daniel has sought his entire life, he must choose between vengeance and forgiveness or lose the father he never knew he had.

Q: Who is Arwein Angylaidd?

A: Well, without giving too much of the books away, Arwein used to be a man. In 1486, he was transformed by the Archangel Michael into a Demi-Angel; essentially a Half-Angel. He was given a great deal of power as well as access to the spiritual realms. He needed access to the realms generally inhabited by Angels in order to allow him to do the job he was “hired” (Raised) to do. But because he was taking on a position that placed him in great danger, he was forced to place his son, Daniel, in hiding until he was no longer such a target.

Arwein is not only his name, it is his title as well – he is the Arwein as well as Arwein – and as the Arwein, he leads an Institution divided into Castle Corwyn and the Legion of Wales. These together educate, train, and send out individuals in an ongoing battle against Lucifer’s minions – through time. Yes, time travel (although here, we refer to it as ‘time transfer’) is allowed. Castle Corwyn is the site of research, training, and education as well as housing; it develops Scholars and militia who eventually join the Legion. Those who follow the Arwein have many individual Talents; they can transfer through time and manipulate energy in interesting ways. Arwein, at the time he was Raised, was a Telepath – a Talent which now is quite rare as a primary Talent, although many students and Legion Brethren manage some Telepathy.

When Michael took Daniel, he hid the newborn in 1969 in Pennsylvania, where he stayed untouched for almost 500 years. In 1981, we begin the series in Demi-Angel’s Son. Here, Arwein reclaims him, bringing him to Castle Corwyn in Wales, where he will be trained to follow Arwein.

Q: What does Arwein Angylaidd mean?

A: Well, Arwein, technically nothing – but Arweinydd means ‘leader,’ and therefore, it has been derived and cut for simplicity. Angylaidd means ‘angelic.’

Q: How the heck do you pronounce it?

A: AR-wen AN-jil-ayth

Q: So is this a Christian work or a fantasy or historical fiction or what?

A: No. Yes. Yes. Some of each. 🙂 It is not simply anything – I will say that although it is difficult to write a book that uses Angels without referencing Christian dogma, this is a book about love, power, and relationships. It is a book about whether it is ever possible for those with great power to act infallibly – including those who love and who use that love to act in the interests of others. And as the story progresses, we will find that many religions are represented; but we start Christian. And there is magic, and lots of history – but at its heart, this is a book about a man, his son, and their loving – but extremely dysfunctional – relationship.

Q: Who’s your audience? Is this a YA book?

A: It’s not young adult. Otherwise – frankly, it encompasses so many different genres (history, fantasy, romance, mystery…) that I cannot pigeonhole it so simply. I’ve yet to hear overtly bad reviews from this segment or that of readers, however, suggesting that it requires immediate stuffing into a single category.

Q: What’s with Daniel?

A: Daniel was raised as a foster child, and Arwein has yet to tell him that he (Arwein) is his father. Daniel resents Arwein for taking him from his foster parents, and when tragedy occurs during his first field assignment, his resentment turns to bitter depression that Arwein must battle. Arwein has a hard time accepting his own responsibility for Daniel’s… issues.

Q: What are Annwyls, Tywylls, and Aberths?

A: The Annwyl is the Arwein’s wife. Annwyl means ‘Beloved,’ a title bestowed not for the Arwein – but to remind her as well as others of her importance to the Institution.

The Tywyll is the Demi-Angel leader of the Dark Legion. Tywyll is Welsh for ‘Dark,’ and, indeed, the Tywyll has a dark spirit. He follows Lucifer, the ‘Morning Star,’ the fallen Angel.

And, lastly, the Aberth is the heir of the Arwein. Aberth means ‘Sacrifice,’ for in being named heir, he sacrifices his will to serve the Institution – and the Arwein. He is generally the eldest son of the Arwein, but Arwein has – for reasons of his own – thus far resisted naming Daniel. Together, the Arwein, the Annwyl, and the Aberth form a triad that has been meant to act as the base for Corwyn and the Legion; it was never intended for the Arwein to manage everything on his own, as Arwein has attempted to do.